The Caroline County Planning Commission voted Nov. 20 to forward a text amendment to the subdivision ordinance (S0012025) to the Board of Supervisors with a recommendation of approval.

Planning Director Leon Hughes presented the packaged changes after continuing work on access‑drive standards. Hughes said the amendment requires that when three or more lots are created the access drive be constructed with a 6‑inch base of one of three specified stone sizes and that the driveway entrance be paved for the first 25 feet from the edge of the public road. He also said the plat must include an emergency‑vehicle easement and the draft limits the ability to extend an existing easement to serve adjacent lots.

“Creation of 3 or more lots requires the access drive for the lots to be constructed with a base of 6 inches of number 25, 26, or 21 stone, with the entrance paved for 25 feet from the edge of the public road,” Hughes said during his presentation.

Commissioners asked clarifying questions about how the rules apply in practice. One commissioner asked whether each lot needs a 50‑foot right‑of‑way and whether separate easements would be required in English‑language terms; staff explained that a single 50‑foot access easement can serve multiple lots and that the paving requirement applies where the driveway meets the public street. Staff also noted that if an access is later improved to a public road and built to VDOT standards, VDOT could potentially accept it.

After confirming that the commission had already held the required public hearing, a motion to forward the amendment to the Board of Supervisors with a recommendation of approval was made, seconded and adopted by the commission.

Separately, the commission deferred consideration of a different pending amendment (0 5 20 25) to the next regular meeting.

The Board of Supervisors will receive the commission’s recommendation and decide whether to adopt the text amendment into the zoning and subdivision ordinance. No adoption by the board was recorded at the commission meeting.